Transcript Leading at the Edge: Leadership in Turbulent Times

Dr. Steven M. Hays
BKHS- Leadership and Ethics
Fall 2012
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Vision and Quick Victories
Symbolism and Personal Example
Optimism and Reality
Stamina
The Team Message
Core Team Values
Conflict
Lighten Up!
Risk
Tenacious Creativity
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Channel energy toward two equally important goals
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Application for organizations
◦ Continually be aware of ultimate destination
◦ Be vigilant in focusing scarce resources of organization on
critical short term tasks
 Create momentum
 Ensure survival
◦ What are key opportunities for action?
◦ What are structures and routines that you use to create a sense
of stability?
◦ Can you think of distractions that would affect the morale of
your organization?
◦ What are your short-term milestones?
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Set a personal example
◦ Use visible, memorable symbols and behaviors
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Can mean difference between success and failure
Let people see you in action
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Application for leaders
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◦ How can you give the right speech to mobilize the power of
the organization?
◦ What are you doing to ensure you are a visible leader?
 What is your visibility plan?
 How much time do you spend out of the office?
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Instill optimism and self-confidence
Stay grounded in reality
Begin by instilling optimism in yourself
Believe you will succeed and it will pass to others
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“I was ever a fighter, so – one fight, more,
The best and the last!... For sudden the worst turns the best
to the brave. The Black minute’s at end…
“Prospice” – Robert Browning
Application:
1. How do leaders react when faced with adversity or potential
setback?
2. Think about a current business challenge you are facing.
What are you doing to instill optimism?
3. How do leaders stay in touch with reality and get the full
picture?
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Leaders must take care of themselves
◦ Maintain stamina
◦ Let go of guilt
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Pursuing lofty goals can place heavy demands on
physical and psychological reserves
Personal Application
◦ Are you taking care of yourself, as well as those who work
for you?
◦ Who do you turn to when you need to vent?
◦ Do you let feelings of guilt or frustration distract you?
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Reinforce team message constantly
◦ “We are one – we live or die together”
Challenges faced by organizations can only be overcome
through unified effort
Keep everyone informed, involved and thinking about solutions
Application for leaders
◦ What can be done to promote a sense of shared identity for
the organization?
◦ Are team values explicit and understood by all? Are they used
to make decisions?
◦ What else can leaders do to promote identification with the
team?
◦ How would you assess the quality of communication among
those in your organization?
◦ Do all members of the organization have a clear picture of
challenges faced by team as a whole? Do they have a sense of
personal responsibility for the team’s success?
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Minimize status
differences
Insist on courtesy and
mutual respect
Be willing to admit
mistakes
Create an environment
in which taking care of
one another is the
norm
◦ Helps forge emotional
bonds
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Application:
◦ Are there special distinctions
that create differences in
class or status at your
organization?
◦ Would you describe the
leadership at your
organization as “being in the
trenches”, “above the
action”, or “looking on”?
◦ Does the culture of the
organization reinforce
courtesy and mutual
respect?
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Master conflict
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Lessons for Leaders
◦ Deal with anger in small doses
◦ Engage dissidents
◦ Avoid needless power struggles
◦ Identify individuals or groups that undermine your
leadership
◦ Be proactive and keep troublemakers close by
◦ Find ways to minimize negative impact of their behaviors
◦ Treat everyone, including dissidents, with respect even
when they are antagonistic
◦ Be willing to set limits
◦ Avoid the temptation to denigrate malcontents and keep
personal opinions about people to yourself
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Find something to celebrate
Find something to laugh about
Under extreme pressure the ability to lighten up,
celebrate, and laugh can make all the difference
Application:
Do you celebrate major successes and achievements?
◦ Do you look for opportunities to celebrate small wins?
◦ Do those you manage feel free to be themselves and to find
humor in work situations?
◦ Can you laugh at yourself?
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Be willing to take the BIG Risk
Never take unnecessary chances
When risk is justified, do not hesitate
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Personal Application
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◦ Are there any risks you might take to improve the
effectiveness or profitability of your organization?
◦ Is there a risk you might take to improve your own
effectiveness as a leader?
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Never give up – there’s always another move
Encourage thinking outside the box
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Personal Application
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◦ How would you characterize your core beliefs about
problems and obstacles?
◦ What are your typical reactions when things go wrong?
◦ Do you have a systematic process for identifying problems
and finding solutions?
◦ Have you demonstrated tenacious creativity in making
things happen in your organization?
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“It is never too late to be what you might have been”
- George Eliot
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Find an environment that supports learning
Practice the art of thriving
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Come to terms with fear and failure
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Work
Relationships
Physical health
Sense of purpose
Balance